Logo of the Baha'i Association of Mental Health Professionals, whose Board of Directors I have the pleasure to serve upon. Check us out at www.bamhp.org and consider becoming a member.Even though it is what I do everyday, recently the nature of my work with people with mental illness and addictions seems to keep coming up in conversation. I'm often asked about what I do for a living. You know how it goes, you're in some social setting and for lack of anything else to say, a person breaks the ice with "So what do you do?" "I'm the Director of a program of the Boston Public Health Commission that serves people with mental illness and addictions" I replay with a smile. At this point the person almost always makes a face like I just told them I was afflicted with some kind of flesh eating bacteria. "Oh, that must be haaarrrd!" they say. "I love it, I wouldn't do anything else", I say.
My years in this profession have been hard at times, it's true, but in the best kind of way, way that has only deepened and confirmed my faith in God and in humanity. What has kept me going is are the teachings of Baha'u'llah. One of things He said that I often meditate on when I'm working is this:
"Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is independent of all infirmities of body or mind. That a sick person showeth signs of weakness is due to the hindrances that interpose themselves between his soul and his body, for the soul itself remaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments. Consider the light of the lamp. Though an external object may interfere with its radiance, the light itself continueth to shine with undiminished power. In like manner, every malady afflicting the body of man is an impediment that preventeth the soul from manifesting its inherent might and power. Consider the lamp which is hidden under a bushel. Though its light be shining, yet its radiance is concealed from men. Likewise, consider the sun which hath been obscured by the clouds. Observe how its splendor appeareth to have diminished, when in reality the source of that light hath remained unchanged. The soul of man should be likened unto this sun, and all things on earth should be regarded as his body. So long as no external impediment interveneth between them, the body will, in its entirety, continue to reflect the light of the soul, and to be sustained by its power. As soon as, however, a veil interposeth itself between them, the brightness of that light seemeth to lessen. Consider again the sun when it is completely hidden behind the clouds. Though the earth is still illumined with its light, yet the measure of light which it receiveth is considerably reduced. Not until the clouds have dispersed, can the sun shine again in the plenitude of its glory. Neither the presence of the cloud nor its absence can, in any way, affect the inherent splendor of the sun. The soul of man is the sun by which his body is illumined, and from which it draweth its sustenance, and should be so regarded."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 153)
'Abdu'l-Baha has also said something that I draw upon during the inevitable tests and trials of my profession:
"Inasmuch as all were created in the image of God, we must bring ourselves to realize that all embody divine possibilities."
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 113)
Whenever I remember the reality of the soul of each person I'm privileged to serve, the soul whose light has been temporarily obscured by the clouds of illness, my heart is filled with the Holy Spirit and I feel empowered to minister to them in a way that transcends the sum of the problems in his or her life. When I remember that every single man and woman I try to assist was created in the image of the same God that I was and thus embody divine possibilities, I'm able to focus on discovering with them what those divine possibilities might be. If work really is worship, I get to pray all day. What could be sweeter than that? Each day, I have the opportunity to witness a resurrection of some soul, if I just pay attention. I just have to never forget that these men, women, youth and children are no less noble because of their afflictions. I'll close with the Words of Baha'u'llah:
"From the exalted source, and out of the essence of His favor and bounty He hath entrusted every created thing with a sign of His knowledge, so that none of His creatures may be deprived of its share in expressing, each according to its capacity and rank, this knowledge. This sign is the mirror of His beauty in the world of creation. The greater the effort exerted for the refinement of this sublime and noble mirror, the more faithfully will it be made to reflect the glory of the names and attributes of God, and reveal the wonders of His signs and knowledge. Every created thing will be enabled (so great is this reflecting power) to reveal the potentialities of its pre-ordained station, will recognize its capacity and limitations, and will testify to the truth that "He, verily, is God; there is none other God besides Him."...
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 262)
What do you think?
Coming Soon on Baha'i Thought: Biblical Literacy and Building Community
thanks, Phillipe for this beautiful, true post, and the Words of Baha'u'llah to meditate on.
ReplyDeleteMy experience has been, if and when we prayerfully and humbly look with an inward eye at any soul we encounter, attempting to see the Divine within that person, over time miraculous changes can take place--in the other person, and in ourselves.
This attempt to become channels for Baha'u'llah's healing message for humanity is something, I feel, every Believer should strive for, and not just in a "clinical setting".
Phillipe, this is a wonderful post. Thank you so much. In the early 1980s I ran an alcoholism counselling and education centre in the Shetland Islands (Britain's most northerly island group, half way between the north of Scotland and Norway). I met some wonderful souls who were trapped in patterns of alcohol abuse. I wish I had had the benefit of your advice all those years ago. I had a fairly lonely path to tread - not much training and support was available in those days in Scotland for those working in the field. I just hope I did more good than damage!
ReplyDeleteAh Barney, I knew there was something that I liked about you. What you hope is what all of us in this line of work hope for. Luckily Baha'is have 'Abdu'l-Baha as our example, who was the ultimate clinician as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping that through my work with the Baha'i Association of Mental Health Professionals, I can be more involved in the Baha'i Network on AIDS, Sexuality, Addictions and Abuse. They appear to be doing some good work as far as empowering souls for transformation and liberation.
ReplyDeletePhillipe
ReplyDeleteWe certainly need more mental health professionals with this sort of outlook worldwide.
For about 24 years a close friend of mine has battled with mental illness. When it started we were 15 years old and I knew nothing about mental illness. Being her main support when the health proffessionals who set out to help her seemed clueless in some cases was and has been such a strain. In recent years we have ended up in different countries but always keep in close contact. A couple of years ago following a phonecall when she begged me to stay on the end of the line while she took an overdose and I refused I shared her confidences with her carer which I felt so bad about. It lead to her being admitted to hospital against her will but this time she seemed to be in the care of someone who knew what to do and has come out positive. She has been making progress now and I pray for her and keep in touch with her.
Where I live I have another friend who lives close by who suffers from a mental illness too. I seek to offer her friendship but I do keep her at a certain distance because I feel that I just cannot practically help and do not wish to go back to the feelings of despair and hoplessness when despite my best efforts I felt I had no effect on the wellbeing of my other friend.
I think that the way the mentally ill are treated in society is a big issue. I think that we often get a situation where they are totally avoided by many. In some situations this means that those who are friends with people with mental illness get over relied on and sometimes avoided by people who don't want to risk contact with the mentally ill person. This can have an extra effect of making the ill person feel more isolated and their illness worse.
I am a teacher. I have a question. What, if anything, can be done to help guard the mental health of the world's youth for the future? There are so many campagns to promote healthy eating and exercise etc to help the future health of the body but what can we do to be proactive in our mental health? Is there any information that we can give to young people to empower them to safeguard their mental health in the future?
Pauline
Enjoyed the post. As someone who has been in the mental health/human services field for the past fifteen years, I echo your sentiments as to the joy it brings to one in helping other souls. I feel privileged to be able to help others, and at the same time learn and grow from my interactions with them.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you made the point of how trying this profession can be on one's spirit, and how you use the teachings of Baha'u'llah to keep you going. I've encountered many co-workers in the field over the years who experienced difficulty in dealing with some of the realities associated with this line of work, such as dealing with issues of abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, I've had to witness these professionals turn to substance abuse and other sordid behaviors in an attempt replenish their spirits.
Phil L.